Aurelion when he reached the heavy oak door of the room. He raised his hand and knocked gently twice on the door.
"Come in."
Aurelion silently sat in the chair and waited. Roric seemed to focus on the documents in his hand for a while longer, perhaps deliberately making Aurelion wait.
Finally, he set the documents aside and looked directly at Aurelion.
"Some events have occurred in my absence, You've been to the Silverfang Clan. Several times, in fact. I hear you're getting along well with Clan Leader Viggo."
"Yes, Captain."
Roric nodded slightly. "What do you think of Clan Leader Viggo?"
"He seems good," he said honestly. "But I think this not because of his conversations with me, but more because of his attitude towards his clan members. And he's intelligent. He's making quite logical and measured moves to draw me into his own clan."
"Is that so? Well, you've toured the Silverfang Clan, watched the Ranking Battles, I presume, brat. Did you see anything interesting?"
"I witnessed the style of the Silverfang Clan warriors, They are fast and lethal."
He paused for a moment. "One of them used a technique called Reverse Bind."
"Yes, that technique is not something ordinary people can perform. It requires serious control and energy manipulation ability, as well as rigorous training. Warriors who can use that technique are usually either affiliated with an established clan or have undergone special training."
Aurelion nodded in understanding. Roric, however, changed the subject. "And what about that letter that arrived this morning? From the Frost-Axe Clan... Was it written by Clan Leader Einar?"
"The letter stated that the invitation was made on behalf of the Frost-Axe Clan. There was no direct word from the Clan Leader's mouth. Even if he had written it or had it written, there was no expression indicating that."
Roric murmured thoughtfully. "Most likely, the Clan Leader's approval and words are in that letter. It's highly probable that he's the real mastermind behind the adoption of your friends."
Aurelion remained silent for a moment, then asked the other question on his mind. "And what about the White Frost Clan, Captain? Why do you think they got involved in this? Is it just because Elara is a Forest Elf?"
Roric shook his head. "No. The White Frost Clan is generally a reclusive, isolated clan. Their motivations are not easily guessed. But..." He paused, his eyes focusing on Aurelion. "...some Deep Guards are from this clan. And if I know their Clan Leader correctly, which I think I do... the real reason for their involvement in Einar's plan is not Elara, it's you, brat."
"Me?"
"Yes, you," Roric confirmed. "Among all these clans, the one you should be most wary of is perhaps White Frost. They appear to keep to themselves, but when they get involved in something, they don't stop easily. Your race, the High Elves, are one of the most talented races in energy manipulation. And you have already proven that."
Roric's voice grew serious. "To recruit you into their own clan, to use your potential for their own interests... They will definitely try."
Aurelion frowned. "When I spoke with Clan Leader Viggo, he said that White Frost might have joined this plan because of Elara's potential or lineage."
"There's some truth to that," Roric said. "Forest Elves can also be said to be a race prone to energy manipulation in their own style. They might have attracted White Frost's interest. But the real target, is you."
Aurelion fell silent. If Roric was right... If White Frost's real target was him... "Captain," he said slowly, voicing his thoughts. "If you think this is the White Frost Clan's real purpose... Clan Leader Viggo should have thought of this too. But he never mentioned it to me."
His eyes narrowed. "By deliberately hiding this... he must be planning something."
"Yes," Roric said calmly. "The goal of clans is always to increase their own power and influence, Aurelion. Always. They act with this purpose. Friendships, alliances... are often temporary and based on interests."
Aurelion nodded thoughtfully. "Then...we must do something."
A expression of curiosity appeared on Roric's face. "Like what?"
"I've already made a move. When I realized these three clans had united against me, I went directly to the Silverfang Clan. I showed them favor, spoke with Viggo. Now, they are most likely planning their next move. Perhaps they will come with an offer to draw me completely to their side."
"My relationship with the Silverfang Clan seems good for now, yes. But if Viggo also has his own plans, this show of goodwill could be a trap to bind me to them."
"Could be," Roric said. "So, what do you think should be done in this situation?"
Aurelion remained silent for a moment, piecing together the fragments in his mind. Then his eyes lit up, an idea had come to him. He leaned forward.
"Captain," he said excitedly. "What happened to the Ashstone Village problem? Those insect monsters in Shadow Canyon? What's their latest status? They're probably still causing trouble."
"Yes. The situation there is still problematic,"
"And what about the other two major clans? The Ice-Breakers and the Giant-Bone Clan? These two don't seem to be directly interested in me or these events right now. I already have enough trouble on my head, I don't want them to be interested either." His eyes gleamed cunningly. "But... I think we can use these two."
"Explain."
"The monster problems in Storm Pass and Shadow Canyon are still ongoing, right?" Roric nodded. "Then, we can visit these two clans. Our apparent purpose would be to discuss these monster problems, perhaps suggest joint hunting or defense strategies. This is both logical and a topic that could benefit them."
"No one would expect me to go to these two, relatively neutral clans. Especially the Silverfang Clan, they will be very surprised by this move while they are trying to draw me to their side. Frost-Axe, Ursine, and White Frost, on the other hand, since they are trying to prevent me from approaching Silverfang, my meeting with these other two clans would work in their favor, at least at first glance. As for Clan Leader Viggo... yes, he will be thoroughly surprised by this situation and perhaps start questioning my true intentions."
Aurelion leaned back, having presented his plan . Now his eyes were back on Roric.
Roric had listened silently to Aurelion's words. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking from the expression on his face. Just as he opened his mouth to make a comment...
"Or..."
Aurelion suddenly leaned forward, a new, sharper glint appearing in his golden eyes.
"Going to neutral clans... Yes, it would surprise Silverfang, perhaps temporarily relieve the others, But this would only buy time. Sooner or later, the clans will come up with another move against me. The Silverfang Clan will also continue to play its own game to draw me to their side."
He shook his head. "No. There's a more... direct way to play with these clans' expectations, to truly surprise them, and even create problems among themselves."
Roric kept his gaze steady, silently waiting for Aurelion to explain his new idea.
A smile appeared on Aurelion's lips. "Perhaps the best thing to do, is to go directly to the White Frost Clan."
Roric's one eyebrow rose slightly. "To White Frost? I just told you they're the clan you should be most wary of, brat."
"I know," Aurelion said calmly. "And that's precisely why."
"Think about it, Captain. What would it mean for me to go directly to White Frost? For Frost-Axe and Ursine, it would mean I'm distancing myself from Silverfang and perhaps serving their alliance. This would relieve them, maybe even lower their guard."
He raised his hand. "If I don't visit Frost-Axe or Ursine after going to White Frost... a suspicion might even arise among them, Why did he only go to White Frost? Perhaps a small seed of conflict will be sown."
"As for the Silverfang Clan... Viggo... they will be utterly bewildered as to what to do. Just as they are about to make a move to draw me to their side, for me to go to the most unexpected, most isolated, and perhaps most dangerous clan... It would completely upset all their calculations."
He looked at Roric again. "Yes, the White Frost Clan might be the clan I should be most wary of. But that doesn't mean I won't make a move against them. In fact, even they wouldn't expect this visit from me and might be surprised. After all, it was Frost-Axe who sent me the invitation letter, not them."
He leaned back, emphasizing the logic of his plan one last time. "With this move, I would both relieve the Frost-Axe and Ursine alliance, thoroughly confuse Clan Leader Viggo, and possibly sow conflict within this triple alliance. We would hit three birds with one stone."
Aurelion fell silent, his eyes on Roric's face.The question now was. Would Captain Roric allow this?
Roric sat silently behind his desk, his fingers lightly clasped together.
Finally, Roric spoke "This..." he murmured "...is either very clever or incredibly foolish, brat. I haven't decided yet."
"Alright," he said at last. "Let's say I allow you to play this dangerous game. But it will be on my terms." He leaned forward.
"I will decide when you go, how long you stay there. You will not go alone. I will assign someone I trust to accompany you. Someone with high energy sensitivity. He will notice if the White Frost clan tries anything secretly or if you do something foolish." His eyes narrowed. "And you will obey every single thing that person says. You will not make a single move on your own."
"When I receive my report from that man. I will not hear of any disobedience to orders or any unplanned actions. Understood, brat?"
Aurelion, nodded his head clearly. "Understood, Captain."
"Alright," he said. "What exactly will you do when you go to the White Frost Clan? Did you plan anything specific?"
"I will go there on the excuse of talking to Elara, Captain. My main purpose will not be to make contact with high ranking individuals in the clan or to attract attention. I will try to meet directly with Elara."
He continued confidently. "They will most likely send someone to me anyway to understand whether I use energy or my potential. They will probably try to show me how well they are treating Elara, maybe even display their own abilities."
"I won't show too much interest in their abilities or displays," he added. "There's no need for me to increase their interest in me. Instead, I will focus entirely on Elara, they will think she is the sole reason for my visit. This way, I can both hide my own abilities and ensure they treat Elara more carefully and better. Then, I will use my training with you as an excuse to return without staying too long. The man you assign to me will support me in this anyway."
Roric nodded slightly. "Yes," he said. "Well thought out. But be careful, brat. This excessive attention you show to Elara could also backfire. This time, they might try to use her as a leverage against you, as a weak point. The shorter you stay there, the better."
A smirk appeared on Aurelion's face when he heard Roric's warning. "They wouldn't harm a little girl, would they, Captain?"
Roric's eyes instantly hardened. "Don't trust the clans, Aurelion," he said in a clear, cold voice. "Never."
After this last word, a silence fell in the room. A few seconds later, it was Aurelion who broke the silence again. His gaze turned curiously to Roric.
"Captain," he said, his voice different now, with a personal curiosity. "I haven't seen many Northerner with black eyes so far."
"And those I've seen... are you, the War Chieftain, and some from the Silverfang Clan." He paused. "Your energy also... is very similar to the energy of the Silverfang Clan."
He looked at Roric again, his question was unspoken but clear.
Roric hadn't quite expected the conversation to turn here. He shrugged, as if talking about an insignificant detail.
"That's quite normal, brat, My grandfather was from the Silverfang Clan." He pointed to his eyes. "These eyes and that... similarity in my energy, are things passed down to me from him."
Aurelion wasn't surprised, it was more like a guess had been confirmed. He nodded slightly. "So Captain, Why isn't your surname Silverfang?"
Roric slowly leaned back into his chair behind him. "My grandfather, defied the clan's orders in his time. He chose his own family over the clan's interests. The price for that was heavy... He was exiled from his clan. His surname was taken from him."
He looked at Aurelion again "My family comes from the line of an exiled man. That's why we can't be part of the Silverfang Clan or any other clan."
He paused, lifting his chin slightly. "Even if I could join, I wouldn't."
"My grandfather did the right thing, He chose his family over the clan. Clans are vindictive brat, don't forget things easly."
Aurelion listened silently. Roric's story explained his distrust and distance towards the clans.
"I understand why you can't or don't want to be part of any clan Captain."
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face, "So... if you wanted to establish your own clan, take your own surname?"
Roric paused for a moment at this unexpected suggestion, then he looked at Aurelion suspiciously. "What's going through your mind, brat? Are you trying to get me to establish a clan so you can join it?"
Aurelion's familiar, smirk instantly appeared on his face. "Maybe," he said with a shrug. "It would be nice to join your clan until I get rid of these troublemakers."
At this reply, a rare, smirk also appeared on Roric's lips. "Don't get your hopes up, brat. Even if I could earn my own surname and establish a clan, believe me, I wouldn't take you into my clan." He looked at Aurelion. "You would ruin the clan in two days."
Aurelion also laugh lightly. For a brief moment, the tension in the room gave way to a humor.
But this moment didn't last long. The smirk on Roric's face vanished. "That's enough. Go to bed and sleep. I have very nice plans for you tomorrow."
The smirk on Aurelion's face also disappeared. He nodded. "Understood, Captain," he said and stood up, silently leaving the room.
When the door closed behind him, Roric remained motionless for a while.
Then he slowly leaned back in his chair, threw his head back, and looked up at the ceiling. The faint trace of that smirk was still on his lips.
"This child's ideas..." he murmured to himself. "...foolish, yet so appealing."